In 2008, screenwriter Ed Bennett-Coles experienced a career "death moment" when he read an article about AI successfully writing its first screenplay. Fast forward nearly two decades, and he and friend Jamie Hartman, a songwriter, have co-developed a blockchain application called ARK designed to help artists own and protect their work.
"AI is coming in and taking people's jobs," Hartman says, emphasizing the app's message: "No, this is ours. We are human, and we decide the value of the work because we own it." With AI's growing presence in the creative industries, the threat to intellectual property and livelihoods is escalating.
Image Note: Image generated by AI, image licensing provided by Midjourney
ARK aims to comprehensively record an artist's ownership from the creative seed to the final product. For example, users can register their work simply by uploading a music demo. The app offers features including non-disclosure agreements, blockchain-based verification, and biometric security measures to mark ownership of uploaded files. Furthermore, collaborators can register their contributions throughout the creative process.
"ARK challenges the notion that the final product is the only thing of value," says Bennett-Coles. Hartman adds that the goal is to preserve "the human process of creativity and ingenuity, enabling artists to earn from it." Scheduled for official launch in Summer 2025, ARK has secured funding from venture capital firm Claritas Capital and established a strategic partnership with performing rights organization BMI.
During the creation process, Bennett-Coles and Hartman underwent much reflection. They believe the rapid advancement of AI has left the creative industries slow to respond. Bennett-Coles points out that artists' "death moments" are the impetus for change. "How do we protect and sustain what we love, and what we consider important?" he asks.
Through ARK, artists hope to not only protect their work but also to re-evaluate the value of the creative process itself. As Bennett-Coles puts it, the process of creating art, much like the experience of going to the butcher shop with his grandfather, is something to be cherished.
